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Old Sturbridge Village

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Old Sturbridge Village is the largest living history museum in New England, spanning over 200 acres with a working farm, 59 antique buildings, and three water-powered mills. In addition to its interactive exhibits that highlight New England life in the Early Republic era, the village contains impressive collections of firearms, pre-electric lighting devices, and a live herb garden.

Two brothers, Albert B. and J. Cheney Wells of nearby Southbridge began to collect New England antiques after their father, George Washington Wells, had established a successful spectacles company in the mid-1800s. By 1935, Alfred had opened the Wells Historical Museum to display his antiques and artifacts. The family began acquiring more land and buildings to give the museum a village-like setting, leading to the Old Sturbridge Village's opening in 1946.